


Thrice Happy Be the Darkness

by jesterlady



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Background Team - Freeform, Canon Het Relationship, Character Death Fix, Darkness, Episode Related, Episode: s10e20 Prophecy, Episode: s10e21-22 Finale, F/M, Final Battle, Quests, Redemption, Season/Series 10, Series Finale, Team Dynamics, Two Shot, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 20:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3704641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver has a few decisions to make about how to deal with the darkness and it will end up changing everything</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Night Would Be My Eyelids

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville. Some lines are from the show. The title is by a hymnwriter. The first part's title is by Richard Connell. The second part's title is by Pablo Neruda. Centered around the episode Prophecy and continuing to the finale.

He had been gone for three weeks. It shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. After all, being in an alien dimension housing the universe’s worst prisoners should come with some unexpected consequences. Yet he was still surprised. Maybe he was surprised so he didn’t have to be worried. He did have a choice to make, after all.

Oliver sat with his phone in his hands, staring aimlessly at the walls of Watchtower. Clark had fled home to Lois at the first opportunity, leaving Oliver to the merciless jabs of Emil and the all-too-knowing looks of Tess. Maybe that was better because if Clark had stayed and looked at him and told Oliver about how much he trusted him, Oliver would have cracked and he’d probably be in his own Kryptonian prison somewhere. 

He should be in some prison somewhere. He was a danger, a menace, a liability. Words like stained, compromised, and untrustworthy floated through his head. He hadn’t really wanted to believe it. He had stubbornly set his jaw and declared it couldn’t be so, even when he knew, deep down, he’d be the one to fall. He was the weak one. The one who’d turned from his calling several times, the one who’d made decisions that killed men, whether they deserved it or not, whether he pulled the metaphorical trigger or not. He was the one who ruined everything for everyone, the one who cracked at the thought of loneliness, who couldn’t take care of anyone.

Watchtower was empty and silent, the gentle whirring of computers the only sound. Emil had gone back home after giving Oliver medical instructions on how to take care of his not-miraculously-healing-the-minute-they-were-on-Earth wound. Tess had left later after pausing and really looking at him and asking if he was going to be all right. He chuckled somewhat bitterly at the thought. No, he was just going to be the harbinger of doom, he’d wanted to say, but he'd kept his mouth shut.

He sat there in the dark, brooding over his inevitable breaking point. It was an appropriate place for such thoughts. Oliver hated Watchtower. People had died here. He’d been tossed through the window. It was where Chloe had schemed to bring him back from himself. It was where he’d seen her for the last time before she’d left him. It was the first place they’d kissed, the first place they’d done everything. It was where she'd come back to him. It was where she’d hidden from him. It was what she'd wanted to run away from. Away meant away from him.

Oliver slammed his head back against the wall. These had to be thoughts of the darkness, thoughts of Darkseid, thoughts that weren’t truly his. He loved Watchtower and what it stood for. Besides being a physical tower that was a haven for the people he loved and the team he’d cobbled together, it was a place that was soaked through with Chloe, with her voice and touch and memories. It was the physical embodiment of what she meant, not just to him, but to the world, and that could never truly be a bad thing.

He just felt so hopeless, so lost, so unworthy. His cocky billionaire act wasn't just for the public, it was for him. He had to be bigger, be better, be stronger, or he would break at the slightest blow. Too many things had come pouring in over him, so much heartbreak and loneliness and…darkness. She had always brought him back.

Decided, he dialed the phone.

“There you are!” Chloe said from the other end. “I was about to send out the Impulse Express. Tess called and told me you were back. I probably just missed you. Bart’s been running me back and forth ever since they told me you missed your window.”

“I…I’m sorry about that.” He cleared his throat, desperately trying not to sound like a man drowning in despair. “I had to get fixed up.”

“You’re okay, right?” Her voice took on that tone that said she was worried and trying not to show it.

“Fine. A little patching up and I’m good as new. I…”

“Ollie, are you coming home?”

“Why would you even ask that?” he asked in surprise.

“Because you sound like someone who’s trying to figure out how to say goodbye.”

“You would know,” he said, under his breath and away from phone. Louder, he tried to force an air of joviality into his tone. “I just need to help Clark out with something before I come home.”

“Okay…” She wasn’t buying it. He silently cursed and wished for only one nanosecond that he had one of those beautiful, but dumb, trophy wives. “Now let’s try it again with the real reason.”

“Chloe, I’ve never questioned you when you said you had to do something.”

“Try every time,” she said, gently and mockingly at the same time.

“I let you go,” he whispered, his voice rife with pain, “and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. You need to let me do this.”

“Do what? Oliver, you’re scaring me.”

“I don’t want to let you down,” he said softly. “I don’t want to be the weak link anymore.”

She was silent, but he could hear noise in the background. Somebody was talking to her.

“Do you honestly think I would be with you if you were?” she finally asked.

“Maybe you’ve just gotten into the habit of bailing me out,” he suggested pitifully.

“Maybe you’ve just gotten into the habit of thinking I did something miraculous when all I did was point out the obvious ‘diy’ signs.” 

Oliver sighed and raked his hand through his hair. He was about to answer when a harsh crackling sound came from the phone and then he could hear nothing but noise, like a high wind blowing.

He swore and dropped the phone, clenching his fists. That was not how he’d wanted that to go. He’d wanted to warn her, wanted to encourage her, wanted to…do something. He thought about calling Tess, to see if she could somehow communicate with Chloe, then he’d disappear and never come back unless he was sure he was safe. How could he even trust his own thoughts? How could he be around Chloe when he could hurt her at any moment?

“Oliver Queen, you’re one of the most ridiculous people I know,” Chloe said, walking up the stairs, “and I’ve circled the globe a few times.”

If he’d been in a cartoon, his mouth would’ve dropped to the floor.

“How-”

“I had Bart run me over and he’s expecting a pay raise, by the way. He has been working overtime on your behalf, after all.”

She stood in front of him, her hair curling slightly and he had the same internal struggle he had every time he saw her, whether he liked it better that way or not. She was beautiful no matter what so when he’d seen her so often, hair every style imaginable, he had a hard time picking favorites. She was wearing a crisp white blouse and the irony of her color choice was not lost on him. She folded her arms and waited.

Oliver Queen was not usually speechless. Of course, he wasn’t usually infected with the epitome of evil either. At least, he didn’t think so.

“I think…I have to be some sort of idiot to not know you would do that,” he said slowly, starting to grin.

“Well, I didn’t marry you for your brain,” she said, her smile belying the harshness of her words, though her forehead still had worry lines. 

He stood up, still for a moment, reveling in the presence of the most wonderful person in the world, then moved forward quickly and crushed her to him.

“I always need you,” he said. “It’s sort of an addiction of mine.” 

She pulled back and lifted one hand to his face.

“What’s going on, Ollie? I’m here.”

“Sit down.” He was going to tell her everything and he did. “I've been infected with the darkness. I'm tainted.”

She was silent again.

“Tell me,” she finally said.

He told her the whole story, starting with her kidnapping and ending with their return from the Phantom Zone and Clark's words.

She sighed and shook her head.

“I love Clark, but he can be awfully dimwitted.”

“Chloe, you're missing the point here. Someone down there flips a switch and I break your neck without even thinking about it.”

She made a scoffing sound.

“I think you'd think about it a little. Or a lot afterward.”

“I don't want to live like that,” he practically shouted.

“Calm down, Horatio. I get that. I would never want that for you. I'm just trying to understand our situation.” After an awkward pause, she continued, “so, our next step is to find the Bow of Orion.”

“I had Tess cross-reference my parents' journals with Hawkman's information. I've got a location. I was...going to go and find it.”

“Without me,” she stated. He found her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. She tightened her grip immediately.

“I don't want to,” he said. “But I wasn't being flippant when I mentioned the whole breaking your neck thing. It could happen and I would never forgive myself.”

“You could also fall down a cliff and die without anyone knowing where you were,” she pointed out, “and _I_ would never forgive _myself_ if I let my husband go off doing his best Indiana Jones impression without at least letting me pretend to be the femme fatale of the week.”

“That's not even funny,” he said, cracking a smile. “You're more like John Rhys Davies.”

“That's not even funny,” she returned, then stood up. “Accept it, I'm coming with you. We're a team.”

“Till the day we die,” he said and he only half meant that in a good way.

“I'll even buy you a whip at the costume store,” she said, placing a light kiss on his lips while he marveled at her ability to even stand to be near him.

“I don't deserve you,” he said quietly. 

She turned a head over her shoulder and smiled slyly at him.

“I hope you realize the irony of saying that to a woman who buried you alive.”

“If you're looking for some sort of sappy response citing that you raised me back to life again after, you're not going to get it,” he told her and followed her down the stairs.

“Have you got the jet ready?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then let's go treasure-hunting.”

***

Oliver stood on the cliff, staring out over the water. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. The waves pounded against the walls of the cliffs, a distant thundering sound. They were much too far down for him to feel the spray, but he imagined he could feel it slapping against his face, telling him to wake up. Ever since Clark and he had gotten back, he'd felt almost half asleep. He wasn't sure if that was his subconscious trying to keep the darkness at bay, or the darkness trying to keep him from finding the cure. The only times he'd felt even remotely alive were when Chloe was physically touching him. She placed a hand on his shoulder then.

“I found it.” 

He nodded without saying anything, still staring at the sea.

“I never figured you for the selkie watching type,” Chloe teased. “Isn't that AC's bag?”

He turned to smile at her.

“Way to wound, Chloe. I'm just trying to get one last glimpse of the open air before I descend into a pit that might literally hold my salvation or destruction.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“I know I married a Queen, but I wasn't expecting his first name to be Drama.”

“You made your point, Sullivan,” he said pointedly, still smiling though, and turned his back on the sea.

“You know I'll never leave you, right?” she whispered. 

He stood in place for one moment, wondering if he did indeed know that. He was still healing from the wounds of the last time she’d left him.

He turned suddenly, clasped her to him, and pressed his lips hungrily to hers. If part of his intent was to create a romantic tableau perfect for a pull away helicopter shot in a movie, he wasn't going to say anything. He just kept kissing her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When he finally broke away and they were both gasping for breath, he grinned at her and said off-handedly.

“Yup.”

She swatted his shoulder, took his hand, and led him to a hole in the cliff, barely visible until it was possible to fall in. Orion had chosen his hiding place well. They worked well and silently together, working up the necessary gear to repel down.

“I'll go down first,” he said, hooking the rope to the clips around his waist.

“Whatever happened to ladies first?” she queried.

“I prefer said ladies not get mauled at the bottom by unforeseen nasties.”

Chloe gave him a look that said he was being a chauvinistic pig, yet sensible considering the terrain and the two of them and their abilities, and she wouldn't dignify that with a response. He stifled a smart aleck comment and prepared to go down. Though she was no slouch when it came to fighting, he was a lot better equipped to defend himself and that was simply the way it was.

Besides, though he appreciated their banter, he was scared and he wanted to try to press down his rising fear and needed to jump in headfirst to do so.

“I'm right behind you,” she said and he let go.

It wasn't a long drop, about a hundred feet, and he went slowly, getting his eyes accustomed to the dimming light around him. When he reached the bottom, there was still daylight coming in from the ceiling and he didn't crack open the lights he had with him, but he pulled his crossbow and flashlight out, alert to anything moving. There was silence and shadows, the occasional dripping of water. He moved in a slow semi-circle, but he would have to move behind the pillars surrounding him to see anything else and he didn't want to start exploring until Chloe was beside him.

It was harder to breathe down there, harder to see, harder to feel like there was hope, even though his only hope was theoretically down there somewhere.

Chloe dropped to the ground next to him, immediately unhooking herself from the rope and scanning the darkness ahead of them. He looked at her and marveled at how far she'd come since he'd met her. They'd talked extensively about her travels since they'd been in Star City, but he doubted they could ever fully cover it. Suffice it to say, she was not just a brain and a voice anymore. All of her natural spunk and feistiness had been turned into power and skill.

They moved forward together, unspoken words directing them to cover each other's backs as they moved into the darkness. There was an open space ahead of them in a circle of pillars, Oliver clicked on his flashlight and inspected the pillars more closely. The marks on them caught his attention.

“I’m starting to regret not packing my intergalactic dictionary about now,” he said sarcastically.

“Good thing you have me with you then,” Chloe said, moving next to him and pulling out a hand held electronic device of some kind. He didn't think there were names for some of the technology she managed to acquire. It might have been his money, but he let her handle all of that.

“Is that going to work down here?” he asked.

She gave him a look.

“I suppose you remember a certain satellite that was gifted to me? I've wired Chloe2 to reach me no matter where on earth I am and I can link up to my Kryptonian software translator.”

“So these are Kryptonian? They look Celtic.”

“Wrong on both tries there, sport,” she said, after looking more closely, but didn’t elucidate any further. 

“And the Chloe-hot scale notches up to the next racket,” he said. 

She bumped his hip with hers, and then went silent, intent on her screen. He watched her work, leaning up against a pillar, arms folded. The rapidity of her eyes' movement was matched only by the speed of her fingers.

“Okay,” she said, “here it is. These symbols are Apocalyption. This is definitely the right spot. “It’s a prophecy about the return of Darkseid written by the hunter himself.”

“A prophecy?”

“One that heralds the end of the world,” she said cheerfully.

“Naturally.” 

She moved to a pillar opposite from the one he was leaning on and brushed her fingers against it.

“This is Orion's symbol here.”

A column of light flared up around her, startling them both. Chloe's device slipped from her fingers and brushed up against the wall of light and disintegrated immediately. Oliver had been moving to try and grab her, but stopped when he saw its fate.

“Ollie, stop!” Chloe cried out unnecessarily.

“No worries,” he said, “I've no plans to combust anytime soon. I'm a little more worried about you there.”

“I'm kinda worried about me myself.”

“Well, there’s gotta be some way to turn off this death ray from hell. I'll get you out; we just need to read more of these symbols.” He smacked his hand on his forehead. “Of course, your dictionary got roasted.”

“Who do you think you're dealing with?” Chloe asked and pulled an identical device from her bag.

“I love you,” he said.

“Feeling's mutual there, stud,” she said, without looking up from her device.

He settled down again to let her work, careful not to touch anything around him until they knew more.

“Okay,” she said finally, “Orion was apparently very worried about the balance of things. He says there must be equal dark and light in order to find the bow. There aren't exactly instructions for how to get out of the trap once you fall into it. I guess he wasn't a second chances kind of a guy. I'm stumped so unless this part somehow powers your noggin…: ‘A balance must exist between light and darkness and to wield the bow’s power and save the world, hands must first right the scale’s two sides.’ “ 

Oliver circled the trap and tried to see if he could see anything else, any other signs or triggers. 

“Balance,” he mused. One of the other pillars caught his eye. It was the omega symbol and that he could understand. “This is the sign of the darkness,” he said. “Maybe in order for there to be balance, you have to touch the darkness, too.”

“Ollie, think about it,” Chloe said. “That's a very bad symbol. It could just be Orion's way of eliminating anybody who'd been tainted by Darkseid and came looking for the bow.”

“Well, do you have any bright ideas, Miss Trapped in a Circle?” he queried sarcastically. “I could always just let you be stuck down here for centuries.”

Chloe's eyes narrowed and Oliver bit his tongue. This was why he'd wanted to come alone, why he hadn't wanted her anywhere near him. He could flip at any moment and become a murderer, but he was also losing more and more control over his mouth. He kept saying things he didn't want to say, didn't mean to say. He wondered how much self-control he had left. He'd said some horrible things on the plane ride over.

“I-I'm sorry,” he said finally into the long silence that followed.

“You need to take more control of yourself,” she said.

“I'm trying,” he snapped.

“Not very hard,” she told him, rather more gently than he deserved, he thought. “You're already Mr. Volatile, don't let it make you super villain material.”

“Okay,” he said, taking some deep breaths. As if that would do anything. “I’m just thinking that if I touch it, maybe a balance will be struck. What do you think I should do?”

“I trust your instincts,” she said. “If you think pressing the symbol will do it, then try it.”

He stared at her hard for one minute, utterly amazed at her, and then pressed the symbol. It retracted into the pillar and the light around her vanished. Chloe fell to the ground as if released from an invisible hold. Oliver rushed forward and caught her before she could land.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, going for casual. “It just took an extra hand to balance it, that’s all.”

“Let’s get what we came for,” she said.

“Chloe, wait…I meant it when I said I was sorry.”

“Oliver,” she said in a low voice, “I don’t think it needed an extra hand. I think it needed a dark hand.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got that.” He kept his face hidden from her in the shadows.

“I'm not trying to accuse you; I am just a little worried about what we're walking into here.”

“Join the club,” he said lightly.

“Right, I'm sure you're already worried.”

“I feel...guilty,” he said, sighing.

“Guilty?” she queried.

“That I couldn't stop it. I mean, you were tested seven ways from Sunday and you never faltered. I get one little lie tossed at me and I try to beat someone to death.”

“Well, if he'd started off on me by telling me you were dead, I might have cracked, too.”

“No,” he said, taking her hand and running his thumb along her pulse point, “no, you're too pure.”

“I've done my share of impure,” she said.

“But you've always fought past it. I barely put up a fight.”

“We all have strengths in different areas,” she said. “I meant it when I said I trusted you. So, let's go and get this over with. It says the bow is in the inner sanctum.”

“Lead the way, Indiana,” he said, kissing the top of her forehead.

“Now you get to be the sidekick,” she said, leading him forward.

“I go where Watchtower sends me,” he said.

“Hmmm, I can think of a few times when unauthorized detours seemed to be your preferred method of traveling.”

“Uh uh, I'm not falling for that. You are the queen of detours.”

“Except I always plan the detours out in advance,” she shot back.

“Then they're not detours, are they?” he pointed out.

“Well, then I'm not the queen of detours and we're back to my original point.”

“Whatever you say, dear,” he said, deadpan. 

She shoved him and he plopped an arm around her shoulders as they walked.

“Focus, Queen,” she said, “we've got a mission here.”

“Tell me more about the bow,” he said, trying to keep light-hearted as they walked farther into the darkness.

She scanned her device over the pillars and read as they walked.

“It was made to defeat Darkseid.”

“So, let me get this straight, whoever wields the bow of Orion can vanquish darkness, is that what you’re saying?” he asked.

“According to the prophecy, yeah.”

“Well, that’s me. Think about it, a bow? The medium is the message.”

“Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I know we're banking on the bow, but don't put all your arrows in one quiver.”

“Come on, Chloe, I’m trying to change my fate. The bow of Orion is the key; I mean, it worked for him, right?”

She didn't say anything for a while, studying her screen.

“Well, apparently only after he found the strength to turn away from the darkness. Even though that meant turning away from his...father.”

“Orion is Darkseid’s son?”

“Yes, he was raised by someone who believes in spreading the light instead of the darkness his birthfather had created and eventually he swore to serve that light instead.”

“Sometimes I wish ancient prophecies and millennia old aliens would just leave our planet the hell alone,” he said and sighed.

“Preaching to the alien choir, Ollie.”

“That whole turning away from the darkness thing, was that an alien ability? Like if Clark got infected he could just wave an alien hand and it would go away?”

“I don't know.” She hesitated before speaking again. “You seem rather...contemptuous of aliens, despite the whole 'our best friend is one' thing.”

“Sorry, I think my punctured stomach is bothering me and it has to heal the normal way.”

“I re-bandaged it before we came down, so if it's bothering you, we should check it,” Chloe said, in a worried voice.

“I'm fine,” he said shortly and moved forward before she could say anything else. “Bingo.”

His flashlight shone on the sign of the bow once again, barely visible underneath lots of brush.

“It's like living with Jekyll and Hyde,” he heard Chloe murmur and he couldn't disagree. But he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't even want to think about it. 

Chloe started walking away and he followed her. Her eyes were scanning all of the pillars and reading from her device. She came to a stop in a circular space just like the one where she'd gotten trapped before. Inside were symbols on the floor, one for the bow, one for omega. 

“It looks like another one of Orion’s tests to see if we’re worthy,” she said matter-of-factly.

Oliver stepped into the circle and inspected the symbols and the pillars where two corresponding symbols were etched.

“This is about balancing light and darkness,” he mused. “It’s going to require two shots to open the door, one from each symbol.”

“Which also means you have to hit it at exactly the same time,” she pointed out.

“Like a bank shot.”

Chloe looked up at him in exasperation.

“Great for you, Arrow, but you can't be in two places at once.”

“Which is why I've got you,” he said, winking at her.

“No, you've got me for translating/talking down from ledges. You're Mr. Action Hero.”

“I can think of plenty of people in this world and virtual ones that would say otherwise.”

“Ollie, I've never hit anything close to this complicated.”

“That's what all the practice was for.” He could feel the irony in their situation reversal. He pulled a compact bow out from his bag and handed it to her. “It's easier than it looks. Just point and shoot, really.”

“Nice try,” she said, grumbling as she adjusted her stance like he'd shown her and tested the string, “but I know how hard this is.”

“I trust you,” he said, causing her to look at him. “I know you can do it.”

She looked at him for a moment and then nodded.

“Let's do it.”

He got out his own bow and pulled it back. They stood there while he calculated everything in his mind. A lot was riding on these shots and he was more nervous than he was letting on. He calmed as he felt the familiar grip of his bow. This was one arena where he always felt completely in control, where he knew every variable. Even Chloe’s relative inexperience wasn’t enough to stop the confidence he felt from simply holding his bow and lining up a shot.

“Now.”

Simultaneous arrows flashed from their bows, crossing over each other before hitting their opposite pillars and arcing into the inner sanctum door. White light flooded out from the area and both of them threw up an arm to shield their eyes as they walked around the pillars to the door.

“Nice shooting, partner,” he said, dropping a kiss on her lips.

“You were my teacher so, thank you, Master Archer,” she said and bowed her head.

He shook his own at her and they stepped forward. There was a slight distance before they stepped into the actual sanctum. Oliver's eyes slowly adjusted to the light and now that they were closer, he could tell it was coming from the bow. The bow of Orion hung suspended in the middle of the room and light radiated from it, bounced off the walls, and reflected back onto the bow. It was truly beautiful and pure. Oliver could feel that this was something good. It made him cringe as he felt his own lack of worth.

“It's amazing,” Chloe said from beside him. 

Oliver didn't answer her; he didn't feel like he could even talk in there without something striking him down. He stepped back until he was beyond the door again and felt that pressure lift slightly.

“Maybe, maybe you should get it.”

Chloe turned back toward him with a frown.

“This is your quest, Oliver; you can't do a dead stop right before the finish line.”

“It doesn't want me here,” he whispered. 

“It doesn't want the darkness here,” she corrected, “but that's only a tiny portion of who you are.”

“How can you be so sure?” he asked.

“Because I know everything,” she said. 

Oliver snorted, but took steps to enter the room again. That awful pressure returned, but felt lighter than before. He stepped up to the bow, Chloe behind him.

It was pure white with gold filigree work. There were markings on it and as he stepped closer, they shimmered and appeared to him in English: _The only true power comes from within._

Oliver sucked in a breath, wondering if that meant something significant or was just Orion's way of saying be true to yourself or some idiotic thing like that. He reached out a hesitant hand to grasp the bow and he felt it just brush his fingers before it started flying through the air away from him. He turned and saw Granny Goodness standing behind him, arm outstretched. Every hope he'd ever had flew across the air along with the bow, toward her.

“I don't think so,” Chloe said and jumped into the air, catching the bow and pulling it out of Granny's reach. 

Oliver started breathing again. He had the most awesome wife in the world.

Granny smiled and lifted her other hand, black-gloved, and pointed it at him as he started towards her. A pain like he hadn't known he could feel pierced through his forehead and resounded in his brain. He fell to his knees, barely able to think, let alone act.

“How deliciously selfish of you to want the bow just so you can remove the stain we put on your soul.” Granny's voice was a grating sting on top of the overwhelming pain he was already feeling. “But your selfishness is precisely what we were counting on. You see, those traps were designed to keep the prophets out.” She clapped a hand to her chest. “Orion’s bow is a light like the world will not see again. It’s been the one power Darkseid could not defeat. Now, I want you to destroy it.”

“No!” Chloe cried. Oliver could barely make out her voice. It was infinitely more pleasurable to listen to. “Oliver, listen to me.”

“You can't hear her,” Granny's voice said, feeling like it was being broadcast directly into his brain almost like the burning, searing pain was powering her voice. “From the moment you were marked, you’ve been serving him. But you’re not like the rest of your brethren. You’ve got real potential and we’ve got bigger plans for you. Don’t worry, dear. You won’t remember any of this. All you have to do is destroy the bow and the little dear holding it.”

“No,” Oliver managed to strangle out, for all the good it did him. He could feel his body rising, making its way toward Chloe and he saw the world as if through dark glasses.

“Oliver, think,” Chloe pleaded, “this isn't who you are. You're a good man. You're a hero. You can fight this, you can turn against it, make it go away. You don't need a bow, you only need yourself.” She stopped, looking down at the bow in her hand, then at her device. She never stopped backing away from him as he lurched toward her, his head feeling like it was on fire.

“Kill her!” Granny demanded.

Oliver pulled out a crossbow and pointed it at his wife. He released the arrow and she dodged to the side.

“This is what Orion meant,” she said, coming back to her feet, keeping her back to the wall. “He meant that the bow doesn't do anything for you until you can face your own darkness. Remember in the prophecy? Orion had to turn away from the darkness before he could defeat it. The power to defeat the darkness comes from within you. Oliver, you have more strength than anybody I've ever met. You've overcome so much and you can overcome this, too. I trust you.”

For some reason he could hear her, could concentrate on what she was saying. Slowly, the overwhelming power crushing him changed. Bright lights were playing havoc with his eyes. The fire was lessening, but the pain of the white light was more than that of the fire. It was scorching him, burning into his very soul. Every inch of him was swallowed and made light. There was no darkness inside of him that could stand up to it, nothing that her trust in him and his love for her couldn't overcome. He fell to his knees again, wondering if he could survive such a purge of his inner self, such a cleansing of all his fears and weaknesses, all the anger and rage he'd built up. The hurt at his parents' death, the betrayal from Chloe's abandonment, the guilt from taking someone's life, the emptiness and jealousy and unworthiness, it all died a fiery death, with such a fury that he couldn't help but feel he'd be burnt up as well.

But he slowly realized all of the chaos was inside of him because when he finally opened his eyes all he felt was one single tear making its way down his face. The first thing he saw was Chloe's face and it was on fire, too, with love and admiration and joy. All for him. It made him feel worthy again for the first time in months.

“Isn't that interesting,” Granny said, her voice angry. “I think that might be the first time since Orion himself. No matter, all it takes is your mortal flesh to dissipate.” Oliver turned to face her. Her arms were raised and pointing at him, power flickering off her gloved fingers. “Goodbye, dear.”

Oliver didn't waste words; he simply raised his crossbow and fired as fast as he could. There was a dull thud and Granny looked down at her chest in surprise. There was no blood, no cry, just a sudden cloud of dark that swirled up, leaving no body behind. Oliver stayed where he was until it was gone and then turned to look behind him again.

“From the first day I met you till now,” Chloe said, reaching out for him, “wow.”

Oliver shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He felt different, he felt the same. It was the oddest thing. The pressure from the bow was gone, replaced by something else, a pulling sensation, almost like it was calling to him. All he wanted to do was start crying or write the greatest book since Shakespeare or take on Darkseid himself or rip all of Chloe's clothes off. Either way, it was safe to say he was emotionally exhausted and not quite steady in the head. But he was Oliver Queen and that was not how he did things.

“Wow?” he queried, pulling her close. “I KO the omega out of the darkness and all you've got for me is wow?”

“How about I swoon?” she asked.

“Nah, I might though, so just...you know, catch me.”

“No more swooning for you,” she told him, eyes shining. “You're the hero of this story.”

“I couldn't have done that without you,” he told her seriously. “I'm serious when I say you're my hero, Chloe.”

“Right back atcha, Arrow,” she said, kissing him. 

He kissed her back, like it was the first time and the last time. Her own passion matched his and he felt alive for the first time since she'd disappeared on him. Even when she'd come back, he'd felt a heaviness, the fear she might leave again, the fear he wouldn't be enough, the fear he couldn't be a hero, but now, it was gone. He was finally himself.


	2. Erect in the Light of Purity

“What do you mean she's not going through with it?” Chloe asked incredulously.

“I mean that she's decided the world is better off when I can concentrate on it instead of her. It was a whole 'walking a mile in the other person's shoes' exercise that went Jor-El wrong. Now she won't even talk to me.”

Clark looked absolutely miserable and Chloe didn't blame him. The thought of not being with Oliver anymore was something she didn't even want to think about. Of course it was something she had had to think a lot about the last couple of days. It had taken all of her patience not to snap his neck while he was flipping back and forth like a yo-yo through all the angst areas on the spectrum, yet it had been harrowing to watch. To see his desperation and despair, to wonder if one day she'd never wake up because of something he'd done or if she'd have to watch him die instead. Down there in the caves, seeing the darkness take control of him, it had been the most terrifying moment of her life. But when he'd fought for his soul and for her...it had been beautiful. That was what she remembered the most and that’s what made her so incredulous at Lois and her decision.

“I'm sorry, Clark, I'll talk to her.”

“She'll listen to you,” Clark said in relief. “Thank you.”

Oliver squeezed her hand and she turned to him. They'd only gotten back a few hours ago and had come straight to Watchtower where they'd found Clark pacing up and down and an exasperated Tess trying to work. Clark had brightened up when he'd seen the bow, but quickly darkened again once he'd told them about Lois. 

“I'll stay here,” Oliver told her, “and help Clark.” He turned to the other man. “Where should we keep the bow?”

“Something tells me you should hang onto it,” Clark said, growing thoughtful. “It was your quest and your prize and your strength was what won it. I think until after we figure out the Lois situation, you should be in charge of it. At the very least it shouldn't leave Watchtower.”

“Agreed,” Oliver said in a strange voice and Chloe looked up at him, glad to see him so pleased. 

He'd been smiling and joking the entire time since they'd gotten the bow. It wasn't just a metaphorical weight that had been lifted from him; he was walking taller and practically glowed with happiness. It was a little odd, but she wouldn't want it any other way. She also agreed with Clark, the bow belonged with him. Now that Oliver had gotten rid of the darkness, the medium truly was the message and she had a feeling he'd be the one to do something truly spectacular with it. Maybe the glow was some sort of alien benefaction; either way, he looked great and she was so proud of him.

“You'll be okay, right?” she asked him, even though she didn't think he wouldn't be.

“I'll never be not okay again,” he told her, kissing her forehead.

“I'll hold you to that,” she warned him. She smiled a little wryly on the way out the door. 

They both know there'd still be bad days and he was riding high on the victory, but things had definitely changed for the better.

At least for the two of them. Apparently, her cousin had traded in her usual brand of wacky for an entirely different one, so it was time to give her some unique insight straight from a Sullivan-Lane woman mouth.

*** 

It was a day later and Chloe was about to eat her words. She'd tried talking to Lois and had not been successful at all. Lois was incredibly good at shaking off unwanted interaction and without full on stalking her, Chloe wasn't sure how to get through to her errant cousin. As it was T-10 hours and counting to the wedding, it was time to get serious about her mission. But for the moment she and Oliver were finishing up all the last minute touches on the church. 

“Who knew tying the knot was so much work? You better remind me to thank Zatanna for making our nuptials so hassle-free,” Oliver said.

“I don't know,” Chloe said, straightening up from the pew, “I would have liked to have remembered some of the details of our wedding.”

Oliver straightened as well. 

“Considering the other details of that night, all I really need is a marriage license.”

They walked toward the front of the sanctuary to grab their things. Chloe looked sideways at her husband. It was really the first time he'd brought up their wedding and really the first time she felt comfortable talking to him about it. Especially since he was now going on two days darkness free and she didn't have to fear a violent explosion of insecurity from him.

They both started to speak at the same time, and then laughed somewhat awkwardly. He gestured for her to go first.

“If Zatanna hadn't put you under that spell, would you still have...?” she asked.

“Gone through with it?” They stopped walking and automatically reached for each other in an unconscious, intimate gesture. “Yeah. It's the best decision I don't remember making.” She beamed up at him. “What about you?”

“Ditto,” she said, nodding. He grinned and kissed her and she was relieved to see there was no doubt in his eyes.

“So, what are we supposed to do now?” he asked. “Buy a condo?”

“Supposed to do has never been a part of our unique relationship. We've always made up our own way of doing things.”

“Yeah, including making our big day the quietest non-event of all time.” he said, laughing.

“You know, we may be trumped in the non-event category by Lois and Clark. It's the day of the wedding and she still hasn’t called back. I've phoned, texted, and emailed her, but it’s all quiet on the wedding front.”

“Well, you know it is the matron of honor's duty to get the bride to the altar on time, so you may want to reel her in.”

“Oh, and I suppose you're the best best man ever?”

“Absolutely, I picked up the rings this morning.” He plucked them out of his pocket and showed them to her.

“Aww, simple and classic.”

“Because Lois and Clark are so simple,” he muttered.

“But they can be classic,” she countered. 

“They got nothing on us,” he said.

“Right you are, Mr. Queen,” she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist as they prepared to leave.

“Now, all you have to do is get the mice and the pumpkin over to Cinderella’s and get her to the church on time.”

“You have to find the groom,” she reminded him. “And we have to get ready for the big event.”

“I can't wait to see you in your dress.”

“You're going to have to, Romeo.”

He kissed her one last time.

“Be careful. I've just...got a feeling.”

She looked up at him, slightly worried. Since his deliverance, he'd been awfully confident and observant. She trusted his instincts, so she would be careful as he instructed.

“You, too.”

*** 

The instant Chloe saw her cousin's face she knew that she had to be at her best for this conversation. Lois was smarter than the average bulldog and about as stubborn.

“No, no, and no.” Lois started walking away before Chloe even had a chance to speak. She hurried to catch up.

“Look, I know you have a laundry list of reasons not to get married tumbling around in your head, but you’re never going to see the big picture if you get stuck in spin cycle.”

“There is no Chloe quip that’s going to make me change my mind.” Lois looked around and lowered her voice. “Clark can hear the world’s cries for help and he is duty-bound to answer the call and I’m not going to stand in his way.”

Chloe hadn't lived around superheroes for most of her life for nothing. She'd been on both sides of the noble self-sacrifice stunt and she knew exactly how idiotic it was. On the other hand, she could tell that Lois genuinely was trying to do the right thing.

“He can’t listen all the time, Lois, he’s not God! He can’t be aware of every bird or blade of grass, okay, he’s a man. And sometimes he needs to not listen. He needs to rest, to love, to laugh.” Chloe lowered her voice. “And when he does decide to finally take to the skies, he’s going to need you to ground him.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m grounding him, keeping him from soaring to new heights.” 

Chloe's face softened.

“Oh, Lois, that is so not what he thinks. Listen, when Ollie and I first got together I was afraid of being too involved, of what it would do to me, but also what it would do to him. He was a hero, someone who saved the world and it was so hard for him and I didn't want to be the one to distract him from that. I thought if I just kept everything casual then it wouldn't keep him from his destiny. But heroes don't have to be alone, they shouldn't have to be. Whether they were born on Krypton or any other planet, they need someone in their life to support them. Clark knows you are that person. But since you’re not going to meet him at the altar, you should hear that in his own words.”

Chloe handed Lois Clark's vows and started to walk away. She didn't go far and she stood on the other side of the glass watching Lois read them. It was somewhat humbling to watch Lois' face change as she read. It reminded Chloe of all the times she'd been acting stupidly and something Oliver said or did made her come to her senses. 

There was nothing better in the world than having that kind of connection with someone, with having a true partnership, someone to rely on. It didn't mean there weren't hard times and that sometimes it was hard to climb that slope, but there was always someone there to do the catching when the other one slipped. Oliver had done that for her and no matter how many times he went on about how she always saved him, she knew it was the other way around. She had been stuck inside her own virtual reality and he had been the one to come inside and get her out. Even then she had clung to the idea that she was only the sidekick, only the girl next door, only the best friend, but he'd shown her she was a hero, the girl of his dreams, and now, his wife.

Lois turned to face her and practically beamed her thanks. Chloe's smile lit up her face. Now things were going to be back on track.

“You're welcome,” she mouthed.

***

Chloe's next stop was the cemetery where Oliver stood waiting at the gates. He'd texted her that he'd found Clark and would she come and help?  
When she got there and saw Clark, she agreed that this would probably be a two-person job. She figured it was just her luck that as soon as she talked the bride down from the jilting ledge, the groom stepped up to the edge.

She and Oliver walked hand in hand to where Clark stood at his father's grave. Chloe hung back a little, thinking it was probably best if Oliver took point on this one.

“Why is it that the biggest events are always the most painful? You know, Clark, when I graduated from Excelsior, it was one of the most important days of my life, but I don’t remember any of the speeches that were given, I don’t remember getting my diploma, I just, uh, I remember my parents not being there.”

Clark turned away from the grave, toward them.

“I know what you’re trying to say, Oliver, but I’m not here to mourn my father’s death. I already did that. I’ve put it behind me.”

“Okay, well, if you mean putting it behind you by saying sayonara to your ice dad, selling the farm, and hanging out in a cemetery instead of standing in a church wearing an uncomfortably starched suit…” Oliver trailed off. 

Chloe had to hide a smile. Oliver really knew how to pack punches into irony bags. But the situation wasn't funny and Clark obviously didn't think it was either.

“What if Lois was right? What if this is all wrong? My training, Smallville, the farm, memories - what if it was all just a crutch?”

Chloe felt an old stab of hurt, but resolutely turned from it. She wasn't the same girl who had felt bad because she was never going to be enough for Clark Kent.

“Clark, I don’t think taking a scalpel to the past is going to turn you into the caped Skywalker of the future,” Oliver said.

Clark looked at them with pain in his eyes.

“I thought Lois was my future. I thought she was my new life and my destiny, but what if she’s part of the memories I need to leave behind? What if heroes aren’t destined to love?”

Chloe started to sputter but Oliver beat her to it.

“I’ve been down this road before, I’ve gone through this and you know where it landed me? Burning a perfectly good leather hoodie. I was on the edge and it took a really good friend to remind me of who I was, push me towards who I could become.”

Chloe looked up at her husband with pride in her eyes. It was so true. He'd overcome so many obstacles to get to where he was and nobody, except maybe her, truly knew how hard it had been. In that category she could honestly say she felt he was made of more steel than Clark.

“But that’s the thing, Oliver, no one can push me or lead me anywhere. My whole life I’ve been trying to fit into two different worlds and the truth is I don’t belong to either one of them. I need to make my own path. If that means letting go of both worlds, maybe that means letting go of Lois.”

“I don't think so, Clark,” Chloe said, stepping in. The situation was getting out of hand. “Let's take a little review of how well isolating yourself works out in the end. Last time you declared yourself dead and abandoned every single one of your friends who all fell apart in various ways and then practically destroyed the world with your Kandorian campaign. So, no, letting go is not the answer. It's the coward's way out.”

Clark stared at her, obviously non-plussed. She restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She was usually rather blunt, but she didn't have any problems pulling out the stops in this instance.

“You know you're not the only hero in this world, Clark,” Oliver said, putting his hand on Clark's shoulder. “I couldn't agree more that you're incredible, that you have a destiny, but being some kind of super man doesn't mean there aren't others who can help or who can lead. I may not have any powers, but I know what it means to be a hero. You helped show that to me. You were my friend and my partner and I'm ready to be that for you. Maybe it sometimes might be literally, but, figuratively, the world is never all on your shoulders.”

“I know all that,” Clark said in a frustrated tone, “but what if that's not the most important thing? And only I can live my life. I can't be held responsible for your destiny, only my own. And I've made too many wrong choices to get this one wrong.”

“Clark,” Chloe said, moving closer to him, “think back to everything you know about why Jor-El sent you here. He was saving his child and he was saving this world. The two go hand in hand. If your destiny was to become simply the savior of this world, just an impartial observer, then there was no reason for him to have taken such care about where he placed you. That was here, in Smallville. Who he placed you with, your parents. The kindest, strongest, most human people I know. That was your training. To turn your back on it would be to turn your back on why you were sent here. You do belong to this world.”

“I don't regret that,” Clark said, “and I don't want to forget it. But it was a foundation, now I'm got to move on. And Lois...she can't do that and I can't do that to her. It's just not possible to be with her.”

“You're dead wrong, Clark,” Oliver said firmly. “Lois is made of so much more than that. Don't you think she knows her own mind? Can't she make her opinion known? Loudly and incessantly sure, but she's got a right to make her own decisions. I've gone down this road, too, man, and I know what it's like to think that the person you want the most is inaccessible because of what you do. I lived my whole life that way. And then there was Chloe.” Oliver turned to look at her and Chloe smiled at him. “And we made mistakes and life isn't perfect, but I know for certain that there's nothing more important than having your particular someone by your side. I couldn't be who I am without her and I'd like to think it's the same for her.”

“Without a doubt,” she said softly, and then turned to Clark. “Clark, we can't make you do anything and you're right that nobody can live your life but you, but don't you dare erase the past. The past is what made you. It made you the man I'm proud to call my best friend. Don't tell me that means nothing to you. And before you say anything else or make any kind of decision, you have to talk to Lois. This is not just your decision and you need to hear from her before you go making decisions that affect not only her life, but the rest of the world.”

Clark opened his mouth, but she gave him a little glare and he smiled a little sheepishly.

“You win, Chloe, like usual. I'll talk to her.”

“You bet your invulnerable self you will. I swear your head is thicker than your skin.”

“I think he's got the point there,” Oliver said.

“Sorry,” Chloe said, subsiding.

“Thank you,” Clark said, “I need you both.”

“Hey, we're just the bit players,” Oliver said.

“You're the light in the darkness,” Clark said very seriously and Chloe raised her eyebrow.

“But you're not going to hug the light or anything?” Oliver asked, looking worried.

“I do expect my best man to be waiting at the church,” Clark said and super-speeded away.

“I'm going to have to do my hair again,” Chloe said and sighed.

“You look beautiful,” Oliver told her, leaning down and kissing her. “You sound beautiful. You taste beautiful. You are beautiful.”

“You've been hanging out in Ireland too long,” she said, but took the compliments gladly, kissing him and enjoying it thoroughly. “Now meet me at the church, okay?”

“I will. Just...be careful.”

“What do you know, Ollie?” she asked curiously.

“I wish I could tell you,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I just know something's coming. I don't know if it's leftover darkness residue in my head or some newfound telepathic connection with a certain bow I just acquired.”

“You don't have any darkness left in you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I saw it leave.”

“I trust you,” he said.

“That's going to be our new mantra now, isn't it?” she asked, a little wryly.

“We could definitely have worse,” he pointed out.

“It is definitely a preferred thing in the marriage state,” she agreed.

He kissed her again.

“Meet you there.”

*** 

When Chloe got to the church vestibule she found an anxious Lois waiting for her.

“Where have you been?”

“I've been putting out fires, Lo,” Chloe told her, taking in the sight of her beautiful cousin.

“I hope my wedding's not going to be on that list,” Lois said, giving her a hug. “Because I'm getting married today no matter what happens.”

“I'll make sure of it,” Chloe said firmly, smiling broadly. “I can't believe we're here.”

“Thank you,” Lois said, squeezing her hands. “Thank you, Chloe.”

“You're welcome,” Chloe said, “now get out of sight before someone sees you. I'll come back and check on you in a minute.”

Lois rushed off and Chloe did a last minute check on everything in the church with Martha. Before they knew it, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Chloe stood at the back of the church, looking around her. A somewhat blushing Tess arrived on Emil's arm and Chloe winked at her, causing the other woman to glare at her. Chloe shook her head, noting the team was all there, spread around the church, ready to go at the first sign of trouble. She felt Oliver step up beside her and they walked to the front together, and she felt completely at peace.

She turned with everyone else and saw Lois standing at the back of the church. There was a slight moment of anxiety when it looked like Clark might not show, but then he slipped his hand into Lois' and they walked up the aisle together.

It seemed like the wedding progressed in perfectly timed fragments of memory. Both Lois' and Clark's vows flowed into one another.

“I wanted these vows to be perfect, but perfection’s a hard thing to get your hands on. But life is meant to be a little messy and when it comes to love I imagine it’s like my dad always said about the army: you only sign up if it’s the only thing you can ever imagine doing.”

“I, Clark Kent, take you, Lois Lane, to be my companion forever and with you be my side I will never be alone.”

“You’re my best friend, you’re my home, and you are my true love and I am yours and will be forever.”

“On this day, at this moment, I pledge the rest of my life to you. You’ve always believed in me and I believe in you. And when you believe in someone, it’s not just for a minute, it’s forever.”

The entire time Chloe stood there, feeling happy and blessed to be a part of this once in a lifetime event. She looked at her husband and saw him looking at her. She couldn't help but feel that this was their wedding, too, the culmination of everything they'd been through, a celebration and renewal of their love. When he looked at her, she could tell he was thinking the same thing. Ever since they'd been down in those caves, he was different, in the best way possible. They were different, their connection was stronger, and she could only feel it was because all of his insecurities had been washed away. Hers had been taken care of the instant he left Metropolis with her.

They walked back down the aisle together, her arm in his, and the second they cleared the doors, she pulled him to the side and kissed him thoroughly.

“Hey, hey, our day, remember?” Lois said, from where she and Clark were doing their own share of PDA. “You guys already upstaged our bachelor/bachelorette parties. Not today!”

“Come on, Lois,” Oliver said, “we didn't really get a wedding day. And this day is all about you.”

“Says you,” she said, but obviously couldn't stop smiling. The four of them just stood there for a minute, grinning like idiots.

Martha came out of the door and gave Clark and Lois huge hugs.

“What are you standing around for?” she asked. “It's time for the reception.”

Things were mostly a blur after that for Chloe. She spent a lot of time making sure all the food was ready, that the photos and receiving line were taken care of, that the team was all in place, that Lois' dress was properly pinned up, and that everyone was having a good time.

At one point she felt Oliver put his hand on her back and lean over to whisper in her ear.

“Relax, Mrs. Queen.”

She leaned back into his embrace and closed her eyes for a moment.

“We did it,” she said and she wasn't just talking about getting Clark and Lois to the altar.

“We did.”

Then Oliver straightened up and looked around, tense and alert.

“What's wrong?” she asked.

“I don't know.”

“Well, you look like a bloodhound with a bad scent in his nose.”

“Something's coming. It's bad, Chloe.” He looked at her with a sense of panic in his eyes.

“Chloe!”

Chloe turned to see Tess bearing down on them with a panic all her own.

“Chloe,” she whispered urgently, “I just got an alert from Watchtower.”

“What's wrong?” Chloe asked again.

“There's something headed for Earth. Chloe, it's a planet.”

“Apokolips,” Oliver said without hesitation. “Darkseid is making his move.”

“I guess the wedding's over,” Chloe said.

***

Chloe glanced around Watchtower and, while it was the gravest of occasions, she couldn't help but feel happy that, for once, everyone was actually in the same room together instead of spread out across the globe. Oliver was standing slightly to the front and had his head cocked like Clark did when he was hearing the call of the distressed, and every once in awhile he would interject something with an odd sense of finality in his voice. Orion's bow was clutched in his hand like it was a part of him. She wondered if it was.

They were currently arguing over what marking people with the darkness had to do with what was happening. It had been fifteen minutes and they weren't really any closer until Clark started reasoning it out.

“We know the prophets use people’s darkness to mark them with the omega. But what we don’t know is why. The markings weren’t just spiritual, maybe some kind of anti-light, dark force that can bring about the apocalypse.”

“Like bringing a giant planet crashing into ours?” Lois queried.

“Exactly like that. Maybe the marking has some kind of gravitational pull.”

“Too bad anti-life equations aren’t covered in Physics 101,” said Lois.

“We need to break whatever’s binding these people,” Oliver said firmly.

“Exactly how many people were marked?” Chloe asked, barely looking up from her monitors. She and Tess were frantically working on getting a fix on Apokolips' position and where they could find the prophets.

Clark looked sideways out of the window.

“You don't want to know.”

“So, we figure everyone out there is potentially against us.”

“Pretty much,” Oliver said, finally moving. “I know where the prophets are. I need to take them down. Clark, you've got to find Darkseid and stop that planet. Chloe, can you man everything here with Tess?”

“We're on it. Emil can help, and be ready for...well, anything else we need.” 

Emil smiled a little nervously and his hand seemed to automatically reach out to find Tess.

The unspoken danger hung in the air for a moment and then Oliver turned to the team. 

“It's going to get dangerous out there. We don't know what those people are going to do when the planet gets here. You guys need to be on the streets, helping keep the peace, doing whatever you can. AC and Dinah are coming with me. Bart and J'onn, you guys can get places fastest; Chloe will direct you to wherever people need help. Everyone else, keep listening for Watchtower's signal, but otherwise, use your judgment. Everyone got it?”

They all nodded.

“Not how I thought I'd be spending my honeymoon night,” Lois said a little bitterly. “What am I supposed to do, sit home and knit?”

“I've got a little job for you,” Chloe told her. 

“What is it? Hacking's your thing, not mine.” Lois came over to her. 

“The President is going to launch a nuclear strike against that thing. Air Force One leaves in thirty minutes and the Daily Planet is sending a liaison. Make sure that's you. We've got to keep him from doing anything stupid until Clark can stop it. Think you're up to it?”

“I'm only sorry I didn't think of it myself,” Lois said, about to rush for the door. 

“Lois, be careful!” Clark moved to intercept her.

She turned and smiled at him, the gentleness Chloe knew was inside her, shining in her eyes.

“You, too. I love you, Mr. Kent.”

“I love you, Mrs. Lane-Kent.”

Clark dipped his head to hers and Chloe stopped watching.

Lois left and so did Clark, trying to find Darkseid. Chloe hugged him goodbye, suddenly feeling very emotional. It was as if everything in her life since she'd met Clark had been for this moment.

“See you in the funny pages,” she said and watched him leave. 

Turning, she saw the team all in gear, Oliver minus his glasses. He looked odd without his usual bow. Instead, he had the gleaming white of Orion strapped to his back. He stepped closer to her and cupped her chin.

“I wish I could just take you away from here,” he said softly.

“You need to do what you do best, be a hero,” she said, beaming at him. 

When she looked at him, she hoped he could tell how proud she was of him, of how far he'd come, of what the future held for them. It felt like a true goodbye, not just the casual fear when he went on patrol. It was a true maybe-never-see-each- other-again situation.

“You too, Sullivan.” 

He tilted his head towards hers and she closed her eyes, feeling his lips and his arms and still managing to see the lights of the flashing planet behind her eyelids. When they broke apart, he quirked his lips upward and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

“I love you,” she told him.

“I love you, too.” 

He slipped his glasses on and strode away, the white of the bow refracting light everywhere behind him, breaking through the shadows of the darkening sky.

***

Chloe adjusted the com link in her ear and turned back to her monitors. Everyone had just finished checking in and Lois had made it onto Air Force One and was stalling for time. 

Because of the seriousness of the situation, everyone was wearing cameras as well as coms. Emil and Tess were busy helping the others on the team and Chloe didn't think it unfair that she focus on Oliver, AC, and Dinah on their mission. Oliver's glasses showed her exactly what was happening.

The prophets were in an appropriately creepy lair. Chloe reasoned it was probably one of their powers: the ability to find the most gothic building in the city to await the coming of their dark lord. Oliver waited in the shadows before entering, but Chloe could hear everything that was going on. He glanced down and Chloe saw him signal AC and Dinah to circle around.

“The day of judgment is upon us.” 

Chloe couldn’t tell who was speaking, but she guessed it didn’t really matter. Whoever was in there was evil, through and through.

“We’ve saved the million souls from the coming apocalypse to serve the dark lord.”

“Our work is done.”

Oliver stepped around the column that was hiding him from their view.

“You can say that again,” he said lightly.

The two prophets turned and stared at him, disbelief written on their faces.

“You have removed the stain and killed the third of our number,” Godfrey said in disgust. 

“You were so close to experiencing the rapture, known only to those who will be serving our lord for an eternity while all the others perish,” Desaad rebuked.

“I figure perishing would be the upside in that situation,” Oliver said, sliding two arrows in his hand, “but I don't plan on either option.”

“It’s too late. Even with the bow you do not possess the power to vanquish our lord from the souls of those he’s saved,” Desaad boasted.

“Bet your life?” Oliver stretched back the bow with two arrows notched. 

He loosed them and Chloe watched through Oliver's eyes as the arrows met their marks and the remaining prophets went up in smoke, very similar to Granny's demise.

“Nice work, Arrow,” Chloe breathed through her link. 

She heard Oliver chuckle.

“Worried, Tower?”

Chloe turned when her screen started blinking. The planet was practically there. Riots were erupting all over the place. People marked with the omega symbol were becoming violent, irrational, turning on their own loved ones.

“There's no time,” Chloe said, typing rapidly. “Arrow, you've got to figure out how that bow works. Impulse has been sent to India to quell a riot there, Manhunter to Mexico. Canary and Aquaman, we need you on the streets, now.”

She heard affirmatives with her ear, then turned to confer with Tess and Emil for a minute before turning her attention back to what was happening with Oliver.

“Clark, where are you?” she said under her breath.

“Tower, I need your help,” Oliver said. He was holding the bow in his hands and Chloe could see his vital signs climbing.

“Calm down, Arrow, I'm here.”

“I don't know what to do,” he said, his voice raspy.

“You'll figure it out,” she said. “I trust you. The bow chose you. You know what to do.”

He took several deep breaths and went absolutely still. Chloe could imagine it all in her head, it was exactly what he did whenever he was working out and practicing his Tai Chi. It was slightly scary because he looked so unnatural, but she knew it always helped him to focus.

“I'm heading outside,” he said finally, not even sounding like himself, almost like something else was speaking through him.

“You okay, Arrow?”

“I'm fine. I know what to do.”

He moved with slow, languid steps, though they were purposeful. The sky was nearly black now, though the planet was blazing red and purple and orange in the sky. People everywhere were fighting, shoving, looting, and breaking things. It was absolute chaos. It was hard for Chloe to keep a bead on Oliver she was so busy directing the team to where the most trouble was. Mia, Victor, Zatanna, Mera, and Courtney had been struggling, though AC and Dinah coming to help had been a relief. 

It wasn't quite as bad in the rest of the world, but Bart and J'onn were kept busy running from country to country, helping the worst of it. The damage seemed to be centered on Metropolis, where the darkness had begun to spread.

Oliver stopped in the middle of the street and looked upward. He paid no heed to the fighting going on all around him. There was a white glow surrounding him, Chloe could see because she’d hacked into the traffic light system, since she wanted to be able to see him and not just what he was seeing.

He stood still, silent, waiting. The stillness was not his normal stillness, it was alien. Something was working through him. The bow's light hovered about three feet in every direction, and nobody went near him. Chloe wondered if the light itself was a kind of force field. She also noticed that the fighting was less wherever he was, like he was a calming influence on those immersed in the darkness. Chloe held her breath, waiting to see what he would do, not wanting to speak and interrupt whatever might be happening. The suspense was killing her, but it was a bit thrilling to watch her husband's destiny come into play. 

Finally, Oliver moved. He drew an arrow and then pointed his bow at the sky. He held it there for several seconds and then released it. The arrow shot straight up, faster and higher than any arrow could go. Chloe knew Oliver was the very best marksman in the world and that his skill was amazing, but his most difficult shots were always helped by gadgetry and he was only a man. This was a shot that even he wouldn't have been able to pull off, yet he did. Somehow, he did, using Orion's strength or knowledge or it was done through him by that something else in his movements. 

The arrow burst into white light as it reached its zenith. It was blindingly bright and Chloe had to avert her eyes, watching through Oliver's glasses as he stared at it, seemingly not bothered by the light. The light didn't dissipate, it grew brighter and it spread. It started to cover the sky, converting the darkness spread by Apokolips' shadow. Pretty soon it covered as far as the eye could see and then Bart and J'onn were reporting in that they could see it in England and Australia respectively. 

Chloe redirected her attention to what was happening on the ground and she almost wept with relief. Everywhere people were dropping to their knees and the omega symbol shimmered into view on their foreheads and then disappeared. It was like a mass exorcism and it was the most beautiful thing, to see darkness literally being driven out of people, to see them set free from their own worst parts of themselves. It was amazing and her husband, her hero, had done it.

Oliver still stood where he was, not moving, almost a silent sentinel of light, making sure it stayed covering the world, keeping Earth from being swallowed up by the darkness.

Chloe turned to hear a curse coming from Tess.

“What is it?”

“The planet, it's still coming. The gravitation pull must be moving completely on its own momentum now. Unless Clark can do something, we're still going to collide.”

Chloe was beginning to wish they'd made Clark take a com, but that wasn't how the Blur operated most of the time. She could only hope he was strong enough to defeat Darkseid.

“Arrow, come in,” she said, “Arrow.”

“It's okay, Tower,” Oliver said, still not sounding like himself. “Come outside, gather the team.”

Chloe looked uncertainly at Tess and Emil and they shrugged back at her.

“It's your call,” Tess said. 

Chloe hesitated for only a moment.

“Let's go. Gather everyone to Oliver's position.”

The entire Justice League gathered in a semi-circle around Oliver's unmoving position, watching the sky. It took them a little while, as they were still helping to sort out the damage people had caused and Bart and J'onn had a little traveling to do, but they didn't call the former the fastest man alive for nothing and they both made it in time to stand and watch and see what Earth's fate would be.

Chloe kept Watchtower in mobile mode on her phone and she got word that Air Force One was still safely in approach for its safe house.

It seemed to take forever, but suddenly there was a slight change in the light. It grew no less bright, but became somewhat opaque, and Chloe could see the vast form of the planet encroaching on their world. For a moment it seemed inevitable that they would collide, and then slowly, surely, the planet started to move away from Earth. It was hard to tell for sure at first, but then it started to move faster and faster and the light grew brighter and brighter. Then it was gone and so was the planet. There was nothing in the sky but their own sun. 

Oliver finally moved and sat down as if exhausted. Chloe rushed to his side and tried to take the bow, but he clutched it and wouldn't let her.

“Ollie, are you alright?”

He stared at her for a second or two and then smiled slowly.

“Never better.”

“You scared me,” she said, sinking down next to him and letting him pull her practically across his lap.

“It was...amazing,” was all he could say for the moment.

There was yelling and cheering and Chloe looked up. There was a streak of red and blue and she knew it had to be Clark in the suit his mother had made for him. The figure alighted to the top of the Daily Planet and hovered there for a moment in the air. Chloe had to hide a grin. The boy who was afraid of heights had learned to fly and she couldn't be prouder of him. The crowd started to chant and cry and somewhere she heard people calling to see the “super man” who'd saved them. Soon, the whole crowd was cheering for Superman. Chloe's nose for news had an idea what the headline for tomorrow's paper would be.

“I have a feeling anyone else in a costume isn't wanted around here,” Oliver joked as he stood up. “Come on, team; let's pack it in.”

There were jokes and good-natured grumbles as everyone retired to Watchtower.

“I know,” Chloe whispered to Oliver, “and Clark knows, and the team knows, that you were a hero today.”

“As were you,” he whispered, taking her hand in his gloved one. They stepped into the elevator with the rest of the team and she didn't mind being squished up next to him at all. Not at all.

“How did you know what to do?” she asked and everyone listened as Oliver answered.

“Something you taught me. Even in the darkest soul there is light. It may be easier to fear, but it’s stronger to love.”

Chloe smiled up at him, reaching on her tip toes to give him a kiss, amidst collective groans at Oliver’s cheesiness. She was proud of him and proud of them. She didn’t care that the team immediately started protesting their public display of affection. Her husband had saved the world and if there was even a small part of her invested in that action, everyone else was just going to have to put up with their celebration of that fact.

***

Chloe picked up the jet phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. Tess answered on the first ring.

“Watchtower.”

“It's Chloe. I'm just checking in. How is everything?”

“We're good. Superman and his wife are currently en route to their honeymoon and the rest of the team is spread out, helping control the damages left over from Darkseid's little spree. Lionel's corpse was cremated today and all the clones have been accounted for but one. Were you calling to check up on the situation or me?”

Chloe smiled at Tess' dry tones.

“You know what, Tess, I never thought I'd say it, but I'm really glad you're there.”

She could practically see Tess' eyebrows rise in surprise.

“...thanks, Chloe.”

“Don't you and Emil have too much fun in my Watchtower now.”

“I suggest you worry about the sanctity of Oliver's jet.”

Chloe chuckled and signed off and turned back to her husband. He was holding the bow with the strangest look of regret on his face.

“We don't have to do this, you know,” she said. “It is yours now.”

“That's not what it's for,” Oliver said, and then reluctantly stood up. “It needs to go back home.”

“Then I'm with you,” she said and took his hand. 

He gripped it and they stepped out of the plane and hiked the short distance to the cave where their entire adventure had started.

It was an odd sense of dejavu going back down into the darkness, but at least this time, they weren't bringing any of it with them. Chloe could see how light Oliver's heart was, a complete opposite from their last visit. They'd brought more equipment with them this time, but she didn't think they'd need it. This place was no longer unknown.

“So, how do we do it?” she asked.

“Follow me,” he said and he strode into the darkness, his steps never faltering. 

Chloe let a smile play around her lips as she followed. She knew the euphoria wouldn't last, but this new confidence of his would and she liked it. She liked it a lot.

He led her to the place where the bow rested. The doors were still open from last time. Oliver entered and stood on the spot where the bow rested and that strange stillness came over him again. Then light began to radiate out from the bow and from Oliver. It seeped into the ceiling and Chloe could see it infuse the cracks there and slowly, she began to realize how the cave was made. It looked entirely natural, but she could see now how the foundation had been built on and machinations unknown on Earth had been put into the natural formations. When the light was energizing it, it was possible to change how it was shaped. Oliver was doing so now, resetting the traps and the tests that Orion had originally designed.

It lasted for a few minutes and Oliver remained still and glowing and Chloe wondered if he would always have this strange connection with the light or if it would fade over time. Either way, she didn't mind. He lowered his arms and the bow stayed hovering in place, exactly as they had first seen it. 

“We need to go,” he said. 

She took his hand and they went through the doors of the sanctum right before it closed behind them.

“So, it will need the arrows to open it up again?” she asked.

“Anything fired from those two spots simultaneously,” he said as they neared the front of the cave, avoiding the pillars where she'd been trapped before.

“So, you just have all this knowledge floating around in your head now?” she questioned teasingly as they adjusted harnesses and pulleys and made their way out of the cave.

“That going to bother you?” he asked. “I could always get a lobotomy.”

“Hmmm.” She pretended to consider it and took his hand to help her out of the hole. “Nope, I like you just the way you are.”

“Consider it mutual,” he said, pulling her in close. 

She was standing higher than him so for once, she could see over his shoulder as they embraced. The sea was spread out as far as she could see, the sunlight dancing over the waves, sending flecks of light everywhere it could reach. The world was once again a place full of hope and light.

Her mind flew back to when they'd kissed on this spot, overlooking the sea. It had been borne of more desperation than passion, but this time there was nothing between them. She could see more than just the sea stretching ahead of them, she could see their future, and it didn’t have any darkness in it, nothing but the normal stressful parts of a life lived on the Earth.

“Do you know?” she said as they pulled apart. “Now we're free.”

“Until the next alien invasion,” he said, contorting his face. 

“I can handle that.” She laughingly smoothed out his frown.

He leaned down to kiss her.

“Me, too.”


End file.
